#and making Viktor into a villain

[arrowpunk]

God damn it all. I want to like Arcane. I really enjoyed everything up to like. The final two episodes. But then they had to go and make. The disabled guy who was trying to make the world a better place. Into a eugenicist.

And the stuff Jayce said to Viktor about how Viktor always saw his disability and sickness as flaws to be fixed/cured/perfected or whatever. Was like really gross. Yeah. Viktor didn't want to fucking Die. That doesn't mean that he wanted to? Remove disabilities in general from the world. He wanted to make the world a better place for everyone. He grew up in the undercity, and because of that he got a terminal illness that was slowly killing him. He wanted to make life better for people in the undercity so they weren't Suffering.

That doesn't mean eugenicssssssss.

And making it so that Viktor has actually been the big villain/antagonist all along? And that apparently?? In Every Single Universe? He becomes a eugenicist? Unless Jayce saves him from that???

Dude what the actual fuck. What the actual literal fuck.

[daisymaycries]

Fellow Atlas-haters, rise

(From a story perspective, he's written great, he haunts the plot, he is the Dead Wife Trope of all time. But oh the lies he's told, the lives he's ruined)

[dusty-siltstrider]

In my quest to keep myself distracted from the temptation of watching leaks I finally started digging into league Machine Herald lore and how come none of y'all never told me league lore is actually amazing wtf

Like not only is jayvik the funniest shit ever with this new context but also Viktor is genuinely very conflicting and my brainrot for him has only increased. Watched a 20 min video and I was actually captivated.

Bro really helped a sad kid by giving him a treat and a brain implant and telling him to go beat the shit out of his bullies. He canonically heats up food with his goofy shoulder arm. Man fell into depression and got even more depressed over the concept of being depressed. He drinks choccy milk. Jayce saw him as a friend and Viktor thought he was "flamboyant and arrogant." I adore him. We are all league Viktor on this day.

[sukibenders]

I'm a JayVik fan, I'm a MelJay fan, and I'm a MelJayVik fan (as well as a fan of all these characters), full disclosure, but it's really annoying how people in this fandom still only use Mel and Jay as props for Viktor, whilst ignoring who they are as characters outside of him. This is especially prevalent in shipping spaces where people will frame MelJay as being boring (they aren't, many people just can't get over themselves enough to see the value between them), to the point where you can hardly find things in their tag without it resorting back to Vik, over JayVik, but then, in turn, hardly add anything of equal value to Jay in JayVik regards, it's all about Viktor or how Jayce needs to make amends and grovel, but nothing of value besides making him the punching bag---something a lot of people in this fandom do (not saying all JayVik shippers do this, just to clarify). Like it's also very telling with the fact that you have two nuanced poc/poc coded (in Jayce's regards) characters, but can't/won't give them equal time of day as their white counterpart unless it's to elevate said counterpart (this is also prevalent in MelJayVik where some still completely push out Mel and make Jay oc just to focus on Viktor, yall are not slick). And this isn't me saying that you can't enjoy either of these ships or characters, nor dislike them, but it doesn't take much to see the flaws (and thinly coded forms of racism and misogynoir) that also play a role in this fandom. It's so frustrating to see.

[mouthpoisons]

victory laps are over im Thinking about it all now

i think the potential for an extremely sobering ''forgetting where you came from in your social climbing and losing the fucking plot when you think youre doing anything good for people back home/the dangers of assimilating to be palatable to your oppressors/guy with an inferiority complex whos big horrible realisation is he ended up caring more about his own legacy and being Seen as a Good Person vs actually contributing any good'' story was there especially if they compared him to ekko who would be instrumental in defeating him at the end, but as we know the writers pussied out of the whole piltzaun politics thing and made viktors whole crashout a essentially a personal skill issue instead of playing it back into his backstory and the person it turned him into . but ive got hands and a keyboard and plenny of time

[vonkarma2]

on here the arcane tag is all jayvik posting. whereas on the reddit the top posts are all like memes about the plot or something + I would say majority are about the female characters its bechdel test central over there. and all the thirst comments are about caitvi. it makes the reddit seem so feminist it’s crazy

[hextechmaturgy]

arcane season 2 is only out in like 8 months but i'm already seeing content for it and it just reminds me how nervous i am for what's to come. i know they're butchering my favorites oh i just know it man

[tootiredtocares-blog]

Biggest difference between arcane viktor and lol viktor is that lol viktor would say he's is not the messiah to his cult and then they take that as sign that he is

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

what you see in season 1:

what I see in season 2:

hope this clears some things up

......oh god

and no I am not some kind of coward

i do not care how deep into Greek tragedy season 2 strays, they are setting up this layup too perfectly and Mel and the Machine Herald together in the same room would descend into the most hilarious negging and banter the world has ever seen GIMME

[littlebigmouse]

I understand a lot of Arcane fans expect Viktor to go down a proper "villain" arc to become the Machine Herald, but in my humble opinion Jayce is barrelling down that particular slippery slope way faster and harder than Viktor ever does in Season 1.

Viktor is elbows deep in an isolation-arc, that's true, and he does and will feel understandably abandoned by his friends top-side. But his intentions are good, his methods are entirely self-destructive, which isn't good to him but also explicitely not bad for anyone else, and I think there's still a huge step needed for Viktor to reach the point where he'd willingly hurt others for his goals (I mean, I'm sure we'll get there, I just think it needs more time).

And no, Sky doesn't count. Sky died in a freak lab accident that would have never occurred had she not violated all the most basic lab-safety protocols. Viktor could only be to blame if there aren't any lab safety protocols and he failed to implement any, but that's just as much on Jayce and Heimerdinger and Sky herself.

The only thing Viktor can be blamed for here is covering up her death, but that does not hold a candle to... everything Jayce is up to in the later episodes.

I also fully expect Jayce to fall back into full warmonger mindset.

And wouldn't that be nifty. Jayce and Powder as the ultimate parallel, driven to destruction as the only way out they see, both having influenced each other's tragedies without knowing. Both having their (former?) loved ones trying to stop and or reach them, with varying degrees of stopping and reaching and all the ugly fighting inbetween.

I maintain Jayce and Jinx have too much in common. It's going to be desastrous.

[bubblewater]

I do agree with how the wealthy utilize research and technology to make themselves richer and inhibiting access to innovative technologies that would improve the commonfolk’s quality of life and how that plays into the political field of innovation and implementation of new ideas

But when was Mel looking at Viktor like a bug??? I don’t think she’s ever expressed hatred for him at all.

Sorry but It's actually so annoying how much people downplay the crucial role piltover's corrupt council games played in derailing jayce/viktor's work and pretty much putting shackles around their lives. The council is directly responsible for and directly FUNDING so much of the misery that happens in this show, before the story has even started. Before Powder ever finds the gemstone. They single-handedly doom half of the region to death.

Just during the show: Jayce wanted to create magic to aid and uplift the common people, the council wanted trade route instant teleportators to make themselves richer.

Jayce & Viktor wanted to work on technology to help miners and steelworkers and artisans who are trying to survive in the industrial hellscape of piltover and zaun; the council wants it shelved for another 20 years. (yes, heimer is part of the corrupt council - no matter how much his image is laundered by the fandom.)

They are inept and self-serving leaders, elected by themselves and their blood inheritances, utterly obsessed with ultimate profit. You can really see how parasitic their relationship is to the people at the beggining of act 1. Jayce is a token nameless life, so disposable to them that they were going to burn down all of his research and throw out all of his titles, making him not just a lower-house vassal but an EXILE, and the only reason why that doesn't happen is because they realize how much money they can suck out of his work.

This applies to Viktor too. See the way that Heimerdinger tells him over and over again that no other paths can be taken, he has 'fulfilled his purpose' and he should be content to die. See how Mel looks at Viktor like a bug she wants to squash under her palm when he rejects the idea of making weapons for council. See how they speak over him and only address Jayce, as if he's worth less than nothing.

You are only as valuable as the profit you're willing to create. You are a problem that has to be dealt with as soon as you refuse their orders. They have the power to ruin your life, and if they find an excuse, they will. This is a direct threat pointed at Jayce & Viktor during ACT2, when Jayce is pressured into becoming one of them to protect 'the bottom line profit' and, personally speaking, to avoid that ire being redirected towards Viktor. He's pushed into compliance and told a target has been painted on his back.

Arcane jayvik are doomed in big part not for wanting to do harm, but being forced to exist under the beck and call of billionaire leeches. They are both immigrants. They are both struggling to get a degree and keep themselves afloat and they want to help people so goddamn much but they have to keep postponing their dreams to serve uncaring masters. I really wish there was more fan content focused on these very real bonds of understanding and solidarity between them.

When Viktor says 'Jayce will understand' that's not a fluke; he's lived in this environment for years. He knows Jayce is being pushed down the same way that he is and that deep down they've been kept captive by the exact same people. When Jayce agrees that Viktor should do whatever he needs to do to keep himself alive, he means that from the heart.

[mentally-ill-for-bes]

It's almost hilarious how even when Viktor is trying to get rid of his humanity it just highlights how partial he's to Jayce. His villain speech isn't even threatening, he searches for Jayce to talk especifically, he is still trying to convince Jayce to join him or to see the benefits of glorious evolution, I would say even trying to impress him. He touches Jayce's forehead even when it's not necessary to know his mind, he keeps the blanket even when he does not feel cold or warm long ago. He could have easily kill him but instead he decides to talk more with him about glorious evolution hoping he to accept him without realizing that Jayce is what makes him look the most human, the most desperate for company and understanding

[linddzz]

If you think about the actual timeline for the Jayvik divorce arc it is so. fucking. funny. Guys that was like...five months?? Maybe a year?? And most of that was because Jayce got stuck going crazy getting his ass kicked by the bisexuality demons in a pit in the torment nexus.

Really, within the course of a few days all counted, these insane and enmeshed dipshits went through

-Frankenstein's Monster/Frankenstein Allegory Divorce. Came Back Wrong Event. "Can't Let You Go" as an act of betrayal. Sleeping alone in the lab crying listening to Coldplay's "The Scientist" after divorce vs divorcing your situationship to go become Jesus

-"We're Separated." Jayce doing Hellfire from Hunchback but make it bisexual. losing his mind in The Pit. symbolically recreating his ex's life journey. Viktor going through his "starting a cult and taking psychedelics in a hippy commune. getting a balayage bc I'm so over him while wearing the blanket he put on me as a wrap dress" era.

-Divorce 2.0 now with Judas/Jesus Allegory!! The "I love you and will scream as I kill you for all our sakes" ass trope. Hexcore, play "Judas" by Lady Gaga. play "Mary On A Cross."

-Separated era 2.0. Sexy Gay Villain. Im Evil and Gay and Here to Serve Exactly What you Are. Cunt. engaging in horny homoerotic fights with your rival/ex. The Magneto/Xavier era. "My ex came back and he's so much hotter now." Dom!Viktor truthers get our validation and get fed.

- Viktor getting turned down by his hot ex and taking it so bad he becomes Bodyhorror Evil Robot Wizard God. take a shot every time Viktor pins or lifts Jayce by the throat.

-brief cameo flashback of Jayce being haunted by Viktor smiling before getting blasted, just to sprinkle some "dead wife in an action movie" trope to the arc. as a treat.

- Madoka Magika Cosmic God Doomed Gays Era. The small devotee standing in awe before the Beloved God imagery.

-"You were always perfect to me. Your flaws are beautiful. I always loved you for everything you are. All I want is you." Piltover's Ultimate Dumbass Loverboy commits to the power of love except it isn't working. Jayce's voice cracking as he says how much he's always adored Viktor.

(Sidenote can you imagine Mel Medarda in the hive mind collective feeling so fucking tired seeing Jayce immediately confessing his endless devotion and adoration to the Evil Robot God Viktor? She's probably dealt with these two being unhinged and enmeshed for years. she's so fucking sick of them. she is so out of the polycule.)

- IN EVERY REALITY IN ALL POSSIBILITIES. "But babe our fates are inextricably enmeshed throughout realities and throughout universes." Life Without You Is Fields of Dreamless Solitude.

-We Go Into the Darkness Together. Fuck Orpheus I'm Built Different. Category 1000 Forehead Touch. clutching hands and each other as we enmesh our souls for eternity and explode into a butterfly launching into the cosmos. Undoomed Him From The Narrative The Wedding is Back On.

ALL OF THAT IN. HONESTLY. A SPAN OF DAYS. (jayce stuck in the pit barely counts ok). the last four points alone were in a fraction of a frozen second. unhinged. deranged. they're insane. your honor what the fuck is wrong with them???

[5five5five5five5five5five]

god fuck it. high lila and diego thoughts post. credit to this post for sparking this thought waterfall. sorry if these are weird.

they have the HEALTHIEST relationship once they settle down. fuck it. they would be so happy together fuck s4.

there date nights would be like the coolest shit! i feel like they would fucking roleplay as batman and catwomen and go full villain vigilante all over the city. Lila steals from the 7-11, diego is on the chase witch ends with him and her up against an ally wall and its the most romantic shit ever. she might even stab him.

i refuse to believe they dont have the craziest kids on the planet. like they care for them and love them but they say shit like "mommy said i shouldn't talk to cops because they are squealing twaks." or "dad said i cant go to your birthday party. yeah, we have axe throwing lessons that day."

that van would be filled with blankets and pillows and shit that would be dangerous in a car. Lilla would make that van a mini home.

Five is the best brother in law who would NEVER sleep with Lila ever. tbh i feel like they would develop a sibling in law funny cartoonish side kick to a depressed noir detective gimmick. frenemies till the end with NOTHING ELSE. like they both collective went "lets try to HOTWIRE THIS BRIEFCASE" they fight over the brain cell. i love their dynamic tbh and the fact that s4fucked it up UPSETS ME.

Diego becomes a little league couch and gets REALLY into it.

Lila is the mom who cheers WAY TOO LOUDLY AND SWEARS.

might even get into a fist flight.

their kids love them dearly but are also rather embarrassed to be their kids.

five gets really into scrapbooking and making greeting cards. the kids really love them and they enjoy getting them for every holiday.

five and viktor baby sit all the time and are the best babysitters. five is stone-faced and awkward at first but overtime is a very affectionate uncle.

[that-binchh]

you’re 100% right. i clocked that shit in s2/s3 when they placed allison, a newly mute black woman, in the jim crow south and when they removed her from it, they barely mentioned it. (can we also talk about the double standards fandom has when it comes to allison wanting ray back vs klaus wanting dave back)

OMG and lila, poor lila, basically became a manic pixie dream girl. like i feel like they should have really dug into the horrors of being a brown girl who finds out your adoptive white mother who groomed you into an assassin actually was responsive for your birth parents death. like are you fucking kidding me???

diego deserves so much more. like s1 and s4 diego are too different people. he had so much depth to him. out of all the siblings, he really loved the idea of having a family. like he had the deepest connection to grace; it make so much sense that he would put his all into being a good parent when her love was life changing for him. but they don’t do that??? instead they make fat jokes about him and make him a failure dad/partner. which i feel like there’s smth to be said about portraying a latino man as only being useful when he’s super macho

and ben. ben, ben, ben. im so upset that he never got to have his own personality. like yeah we all had our headcanons about him post s1, but most of those revolved around him being the quiet supportive unproblematic sibling (which once again painting the only asian man as submissive… is a choice…). and this isn’t me fully coming for fandom bc really the writers did nothing for his character. he’s only there for the others development (which even that is questionable bc development where??) and when it’s not that, he doesn’t really matter

ok this has been needling my mind since i finished this awful season and i wanna say it:

THEY DO THE POC CHARACTERS EXTREMELY DIRTY

why is diego treated like a joke? it was the constant fat jokes and talking at him like he was stupid for me. this dude has been through it just like every other character, and still managed to make a home in this world without powers better than most of them. he worked a job he hated to provide for wife and kids, learned PUNJABI to speak to his in laws, and works hard to protect his family. what’s funny about that?

what’s with the weird energy surrounding allison’s storyline? it was better this season ONLY bc of Klaus. Whenever they let Allison stand on her own and try and grow as a character independently of her family, she turns into some sort of villainous character. it’s weird af… and i’m sorry, ray walked out on her? the dude so in love with his wife that he literally helped stop the end of the world for her even at the cost of his own life? ok! cool great.

what does lila want? they tried to push on us this season that she was some self actualized, well adjusted person. but a well adjusted person wouldn’t cheat on her husband. all she wanted was a family, but when given the chance, the writers had her outside doing everything BUT sticking by her new family. you know what i call that? BAD WRITING. they didn’t handle her story with care at ALL

why doesn’t ben have a character arc? he wasn’t an antagonist, or a protagonist. he damn near didn’t even feel like a part of the family. the siblings have always had an emotional tie to the end of the world, but the hargreeves connection with ben felt superficial at best, nonexistent at worst. why even make Ben the center of the season if it was never gonna be about HIM?!

i feel like i’m being gaslit. i know the other non POC characters have issues, but these four in particular hurt my heart. cause the show uses their racial identities and ethnicities when it’s useful, and then toss the characters themselves away like trash and i’m fucking sick of it.

[mollysunder]

I'm not surprised (but still disappointed) that Arcane spirited Ekko out of Act 1 and 2, because if they kept him around then they'd have to engage in politics. I don't just mean, "Oh Ekko would know what to do and rally Zaun". I mean the writers would have to confront the fact that they don't want Ekko to challenge Piltover, the same way they don't want Jinx or Viktor to challenge Piltover in a serious way. It's easier for them to do it with the latter two because the audience readily disassociates those two's actions from politics and the ongoing conflict between Piltover and Zaun. They can't do that with Ekko because he's so plain-facedly Zaun-centric

Instead, both in League and Arcane they invent enemies for him that bring immediate danger to his community Zaun in the form of chembarons, mad scientists, and experiments gone wrong while avoiding anything but surface level criticism of Piltover. Even from Ekko's development his creators prioritized him having Zaunite champions as enemies over Piltovans, and even mentioned he would come to understand Vi's perspective eventually. Essentially, Ekko's character has been used as a way for Riot writers to walk around the fact they turned Zaun into the crime city Piltover deals with rather than parasitizes, and almost every other champion who isn't Ekko, Zeri, or Zac is a part of lineup of Saturday morning cartoon villains.

If Ekko was actually present for the events of Act 1 and 2, then the writers would have to find an excuse for him not to rightfully call out and even fight Caitlyn for gassing Zaun and occupying it. Without Silco as an immediate threat Ekko could engage with the wider Zaun and even interact with other Zaunite champions and the politics of their growing factions. Maybe Ekko would even be faced with the choice to turn Jinx in to keep the enforcers out and have to make a choice.

But the writers don't want Caitlyn or Piltover to be challenged too harshly and don't want to think too deeply on the political motivations/aspirations of their Zaunite champions. They just want Ekko to show up in the finale where the class conflict is pushed aside to face some larger existential threat that everybody can come together and dogpile on.